Skillful Foolishness – In the Kitchen (and beyond)

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Tag Archives: Good Friday

Well, as odd a day as it was. It ended up being a very good Friday. That’s the day the MotH had a LAD heart attack – commonly known as a widow maker – lovely, right?

Well, he knew the signs from being a former EMT (jaw pain is a big give away – keep that in mind) and woke me at about 5:20am saying we were going to the ER. Talk about getting dressed really really fast – and also not worrying about what you look like.

It seems early on a Friday morning is a prime time to go to the ER – no one was there. He went right in and they hooked him up the the machine and thought it was broke. Nope – he was just broke. The cardiologist came in sooner than I ever would have expected and did a stent, but instead of going through the groin – which takes forever – he went in through the wrist. I had never heard of anything like it, but lord it was so much quicker. Like 2 hours total.

Either way, all went well, but to be honest, I don’t ever want to go through something like that again. And I hope you never have to either.

Yep, Lemons for Easter. I just cannot help myself. It is citrus season, at least here (i.e. in Florida). My own little Meyer Lemon Tree, as I have said before, is a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree sort of lemon tree. This year it gave me my biggest crop ever – 3 Meyer Lemons. Sounds paltry, but I’ve raised this baby from barely a seedling to something that produces fruit and I feel a strong, but undeserved, sense of accomplishment. I think we (me and the tree) are about ten years in now.

Meyer Lemon Shortbread Bar

Meyer lemons are just so lovely. I have waxed poetic about them before. It is blooming right now for the next season and I need to take photos as the year goes along. The deluge this past week, I hope, will help, but I’m not sure. We will see. The Meyer lemon blossoms smell like orange blossoms. So nice …. There is just nothing like that.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan, line with parchment to overlap all the edges and spray the parchment too.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, one tsp at a time until dough comes together. Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan, pressing against the edges.

Bake crust for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden. Golden on the edges seems to be the key. Set pan on a wire rack and cool for about 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 300 degrees.

Whisk eggs and sugar for filling until well combined and lighter in color. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, and a pinch of salt. Pour topping over warm crust. Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until set at the edges but still a little bit wiggly in the center.

Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Remove by lifting parchment. Cut into squares. Dust with 3 Tbs of confectioners’ sugar.

25 March 2016 – Good Friday – For Easter with the family.

Source: Epicurious

Notes: This is the first time I have used this recipe. So I’m using my treasured Meyer lemons on a total gamble. Probably not smart, but what the hell. You cannot keep them forever. No matter how much you would like to.

I pushed the crust into the bottom, but I really felt like I needed to push it up the side like you do with a graham cracker crust for pie. But I am glad I followed the recipe. Though I was worried that the lemon curd part would leak down and make a whole mess if it. But it did not. I think the key thing here is have the correct sized pan. Because it worked and was, thanks to my home-grown Meyer Lemons, just slightly stupidly amazing. Even if I do say so myself. And yes, yes, I do.

I have an unworldly ability to handle issues. I do well under pressure. I do really kind of enjoy it. This time last year, I was unflappable.

I do get bored with an everyday kind of thing. I guess that’s why events work always appealed to me. When it all starts to go to hell, I seem to be at my best. Yes all the chairs are out for a big thing and then it rains. Who dries the chairs – me, but that’s part of the job and it’s what I do. Think graduation at a major university in a football stadium with no rain plan – oh hell yeah. Bring it. Too bad my commencement speakers were both pervs (who knew at the time? not me).

The MotH* had a major heart attack last year – on Good Friday (4/18), no less. I was fine, until I came home and did the looking on the google and realized what we (he) had been through. Wow. I’m not even sure what to write now.

I was fine while everything was going on, but after the fact, it was difficult to realize how close we came to being parted forever. The MotH is still with me and is really fine now. I’m not sure I deserve to be so lucky, but I thank all that is holy that I am.